MRS. BUSH: Thank you very much, Lamar. Thanks to all of you. I'm so
excited to be here today. Lamar has had a great story for us. He's an
inspiration to us, and I know you are really proud now that young
people look up to you for inspiration, just like you looked at Jack and
your other mentors.

I want to thank Jack Law and Steve Highsmith and Rick Smith for
your warm welcome to the Germantown Boys and Girls Club. And special
thanks also to Roxanne Spillett, President of the Boys and Girls Clubs
of America for your commitment to our nation's young people.

I love to visit Philadelphia and I've spent a lot of time here over
the last four years. I've visited museums and historic sites. I've met
many great students and teachers here. And I have to admit, I've eaten
one too many Philly cheese steaks. (Laughter.) But I'm really happy to
be here today at the Germantown Boys and Girls Club today.

Last night, during the State of the Union address, President Bush
shared his goals for the next four years with the American people. The
President reaffirmed his commitment to freedom for those who are
oppressed around the world. As the people of Afghanistan and Iraq have
shown, liberty triumphs over terror. President Bush will work to
strengthen our economy, our Social Security system, and our schools for
the next generation. And he called on all Americans to expand the
values of family and compassion that are the foundation of our
country.

The greatest strength of our country is the goodness of the
American people. Faithbased and community groups bring greater hope to
us all. And last night the President proposed an initiative to help
these organizations reach out to young men and young women, but
particularly to young men who find themselves lost or trapped in gangs.
We want to show young people the ideal of manhood that respects life
and rejects violence. The President's administration has proposed $150
million over three years to help young people in some of our toughest
neighborhoods. Encouraging young men to see beyond a world of
hopelessness is part of a national effort to help all young people
reach their full potential.

Since my years as an elementary school teacher and librarian,
through the years as First Lady of Texas and now as First Lady of the
United States, I have worked to emphasize the vital importance of early
childhood education for all children. The first five years of life are
critical. They are a critical time for children to develop the
physical, emotional and cognitive skills that they will need for the
rest of their lives. Infants and toddlers need parents and caregivers
who read to them, who foster their development so when they start
school, they are ready to learn.

These years are also critical to the social and the behavioral
development of young children. Research shows that boys who exhibit
highly aggressive behavior as early as kindergarten have a greater
chance of being involved with drugs and violence as adolescents. In
fact, children who are overly impulsive at age three are twice as
likely to be dependent on alcohol by age 21. And research from Yale
University shows that there is substantive linkages between early
reading failure and truancy and depression later in young people.

Our children are living in an increasingly complex world, and many
boys especially are having a tough time growing up. Boys have a harder
time learning to read, graduating from high school and achieving
independence. They often fall behind girls in elementary school, and
more boys drop out of high school than girls. Boys are also more likely
to drink and use drugs to gain approval from their peers. And they are
more likely than girls to be arrested for crimes.

The Department of Justice estimates that more than 90 percent of
gang members in large cities are boys. They are also more than four
times likely than girls to carry a weapon to school. And by age 18,
boys are 17 times more likely than girls to be in jail or in prison.

Researchers are studying how boys differ from girls in their
ability to cope with life changes. We have more to learn, but we do
know that positive experiences within their families, schools and their
communities can determine whether boys will live a life of peril or a
life of promise.

Tyenell Rose said that Germantown Boys and Girls Club helped her
son Tyalif turn his life around. Tyalif started getting in trouble in
the first grade. His role as the class jokester escalated as he moved
through the fourth grade. Last year, the school called Tyenell nearly
every single day to report that her son was acting out. She turned to
Jack Law in the Boys and Girls Club for help. Through oneonone
mentoring and the Club's no tolerance policy, Tyalif is doing better in
school. He is paying attention in class, and he has improved in
reading, passing the state assessment test this year.

At home Tyalif listens to his mom and helps with his younger
brother and sister. As a single mother, Tyenell welcomes his help, and
she appreciates knowing that her children have somewhere safe to go
after school.

Tyenell said, "I'm fortunate to have a Boys and Girls Club in my
neighborhood and to have great mentors for my children. My boys now
have positive influences in their lives and I can be proud of the men
that they are becoming." Thank you Tyenell and Tyalif for sharing your
story. You are an inspiration to all of us.

We want all children to grow up healthy and safe. As parents,
teachers and community leaders, we have a personal interest in seeing
our children succeed. And as Americans, we have a moral responsibility
to ensure that all children are prepared for school and for life.
Children need strong role models and relationships with adults who
nurture their confidence and their character. Young people must have
safe places to go where they can express themselves and be heard. And
all children need the experience and the joy of giving back to their
own communities and helping other people.

This is what Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia provide young
people with every day. Like all Boys and Girls Clubs, Germantown is a
great example of a communitybased center that engages young people
through positive youth development. For children the Club is an
alternative to the streets. Every Club has trained youth development
professionals who provide positive role models for young people, and I
visited with two of those young professionals and the groups of young
people that they're working with today and it was very, very moving to
see the Passport to Manhood class and the SMART Moves class, and thank
you both. Thank you for letting me come sit in your classes with you
and thank you for your great influence on young people.

In these classes, young people learn to resolve conflicts and how
to prepare for college. They have their own passport in the Passport to
Manhood class, which symbolizes their journey and in which they can
capture their accomplishments. Shenelle Colman, who I visited in her
SMART Moves class, teaches teens how to say no to drugs and sex.
Through role playing, young people learn to resist peer pressure and
learn how to make the right decisions.

By focusing on character and career development, early reading and
community service, this Club is making an incredible difference in the
lives of young people, and we see success like this in Clubs throughout
the country. Research shows that where there is a Boys and Girls Club,
there is generally a reduction in vandalism, drug trafficking and youth
crime. While many programs are making a difference in the lives of boys
and girls, we can and we must do more. We need the support of families,
communities, schools and government to ensure that no child is left
behind.

There are specific interventions and promising practices that work.
These programs nurture a child's social and emotional health and their
academic skills. They also teach parents how to develop a loving,
stable home and how to solve problems. We must share this information
widely so that communities can engage and empower young people. And
parents, teachers, faithbased and community groups need to be part of
this national conversation.

I encourage all Americans to get involved in the life of a child.
Many volunteers dedicate their times at Boys and Girls Clubs. The
President established USA Freedom Corps to help Americans find
volunteer opportunities in their own home communities.

Over the next few months, I'll be traveling across the country
visiting schools and faithbased centers and community programs like
this one. I hope to learn more about the challenges boys face and how
we can improve their lives. We can nurture our children's dreams, we
can help them develop their talents and we can ensure their healthy
development. Our success will not only affect the direction of their
lives, but it will also affect the future of our country.

The challenges before us are great, and the time between childhood
and adulthood, as George and I can attest, is all too short. But as the
men and women of the Germantown Boys and Girls Club show, each of us
has the power to make a difference in a young person's life.

Thank you all so much for being here. Now I want to introduce
Roxanne Spillett, the President of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
(Applause.)